Assigivob to otdttstbial beseabch



F. JERDONE, In. FUEL RESERVE SUPPLY SYSTEM;

APPLICATION FILED APR. 8. l9l9.

Patented Nov. 9, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

ISI

I INVENTOR. Franc/s derda/ie dz A TTORNEY I F. JERDONE, 1R. FUEL RESERVE SUPPLY SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 8, I919. 1,357,987. Patented Nov. 9, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR. franc/s Jeraafle Jr.

El E1.

ATTORNEY IA w! 8 ILZ UNITED'STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS minions, an, or tromino, oIIIo, AssIeIvoit T0 INDUSTRIAL iEsEARcII CORPORATIUN, or TOLEDO, oiIIo, A CORPORATION or DELAWARE. H

FUEL-RESERVE-SUBPLY SYSTEM.

Specification of ietterslatent.

Patented Nov. 9, 1920.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS JERDoNn, J12, residing at Toledo, Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fuel- Reserve-Supply'Systems, of which I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to a fuel reserve supply system for internal combustion engines and has for its objcctto provide simple and inexpcusivemeans by which a reserve supply of fuel may be carried in the main fuel supply tank from which fuel is fed to the engine.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for automatically closing the outlet passageway of a fuel supply tank when the fuel therein falls below a predetermined point, the adjustment of saidmeans to open said passageway being effected V manually and the release of said means from adjusted position being dependent upon the rise of the liquid in the tank above said pre-de termined point.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in combination with the vacuum fuel feed system of an internal combustion engine, an improved device for controlling a reserve supply of fuel in the main supply tank, which supply can be used onlyupon manual operation of the device after a predetermined amount of fuel has beenlcorr sumed, said device not requiring further manipulation until a new supply of fuel greater than the reserve supply has been placed in the tank and reduced to a predetermined amount.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved float actuated valve for controlling a reserve supply of fuel in a fuel supply tank connected with an internal coinbustion engine for supplying fuel thereto.-

To these and other ends the inventioncomprises certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts as will behereinafter more fully described and claimed, it being understood that various modifications in the detailed construction of the device may be made without departing from the spirit of theinvention as expressed in the claims. I

A structureillustrating one embodiment of my invention is shown in the accompanying drawing forming'a part of this specification, in which:

Fig. I is a diagrammatic view embodying the invention. i I V Fig. II is a fragmentary, sectional elevation of a fuel tank with my invention applied thereto.

Fig. III is a top plan View of the'arrangeinent shown in Fig. II.

Fig. IV is a sectional line IVIV of Fig. II.

Fig. V is a fragmentary sectional elevation of a slightly modified form of the in vention. I

plan taken on the Fig. VI is a sectional plan taken on the line VI-VI of Fig. V and Fig. VII is a detailed sectional plan taken on line VIIVII of Fig. V;

Like reference characters throughout the several views of the drawing indicate corresponding parts.

In the construction of a fuel reserve supply system, it is desirable to providemechanismfor controlling the discharge of fuel from the supply tank, which mechanism will not require manipulatlon after it has been adjusted to position to permit the dischargeof the reserve supply of fuel carried in the tanlgand in carrying out the present invention I have provided means for accom plishing this result. l

Referring to the drawing, 10 represents an internal combustion engine such as is used on motor driven vehicles. A vacuum feed tank 11 is connected with the manifold 12 of the engineby means of a conduit 13, and. the carbureter 14: of the engine is connected with said vacuum tank by meansof a conduit 15, while the main fuel supply tanklG is connected with said vacuum tank by means of a conduit 17, all as shown in Fig. I.

Although in the present instance I have point. In the top of the tank 16 I provide an opening 18 which is protccted'by a cover plate 18, constituting a part of the upper wall of the tankand secured thereon by any suitable means, as by soldering. Projecting into the tank through the cover plate 18 is a tube 19 threaded at its upper endto receive the nut 20 on the underside of said plate, and the member 21 on the upper'side of said plate, the conduit 17 being connected with the member 21 by means of a reducing coupling 22, as shown at the left of Fig. 1. The lower end of the tube 19 which projects to a point adjacent the bottom of the tank is provided with a cap 23, the upper edge of which is beveled outwardly as indicated at 24 to receive the inwardly beveled edge 25 of the sleeve 26, which is sidably mounted upon the tube, and which is provided with a float 27 for raising the sleeve when the liquid in the tank is increased above apredetermined amount. The sleeve 26 is preferably extended through the float as indicated in Fig. II, although it may be connected directly to the bottom of the vfloat if desired. The tube 19 is provided at a point just above the upper edge of the cap 23 with fuel inlet apertures 28 which are closed by the sleeve when the liquid in the tank is reduced to a predetermined amount. The float controlled sleeve 26 constitutes a valve for automatically closing the passageways 28 when the liquid in the tank is reduced to an amount sufficient to constitute the required reserve supply of fuel, so that when the engine is stopped as a result of the closing of the valve, there will be sufiicient fuel left to enable the car to be driven a considerable distance, whereby the driver is given an opportunity to locate a filling station where he may secure a fresh supply of fuel. The float controlled valve on the tube 19 will open automatically only when a supply of fuel is placed in the tank greater than the reserve supply, and when the valve is closed and it is not possible to immediately secure a new supply of liquid for the tank, the valve may be manually operated to open position to permit the use of the reserve sup ply of fuel. It also desirable that when the valve has been manually adjusted to open position that it be released automatically when a new supply of liquid is placed in the tank, thereby not requiring the attention of the driver until all but the reserve supply has been consumed. The means which I have provided for accomplishing this result comprises an adjustable rod 29 loosely projecting through an elongated opening 30 in the cover plate 18 of the tank, the lower end of said rod being extended through a guide 31 secured to the side wall of the float 27 and through a plate 31' on the bottom of the float as shown in Fig. II, said rod being provided. at a point just beneath the plate 31 with a nut or head 32, which engages said plate to effect the raising of the float and valve when the rod is raised to the osition shown by dotted lines in Fig. II. .lpon the cover plate 18 of the tank at a point adjacent the slot 30 therein is mounted an upstanding plate bracket 33 provided with communicating slots 34 and 34' for re waiving the laterally projecting handle 35 of the rod 29 as shown in Figs. II and III.

The plate 33 is provided with two shoulders or points of support for the rod 29, as indicated at 36 and 36, at the base of the slots 34 and 34 respectively, the point 36 serving to support the rod in normal position as shown by full lines in Fig. II, and the point 36 serving to support said rod in adjusted position as shown by dotted lines in said ligure. The shoulder 36' is placed far enough above the shoulder 36 to insure the clearance of the apertures 28 in the tube 19 by the sleeve 26 when the float is lifted to the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. II. The shoulder 36 is placed to one side of the shoulder 36 so that when the valve is in open position, the rod 29 will be inclined with respect to the tube 19. When a new supply of liquid is placed in the tank and the float thereby elevated, the guide plate 31 will slide a certain distance upon said rod and by reason of the inclination of the latter the plate will tend to wedge thereon and force the rod upwardly to cause the handle to move out of the slot 34 over the inclined .portion 37 of the bracket 33 until it passes the uppermost point 38, after which the handle will descend upon the outwardly inclined face 39 of the bracket to normal position within the slot 34 as shown by full lines in Fig. II. During this operation the plate 31 rides upon the rod to throw the upper end outwardly as the rod is raised such action being due to the {pivoting of the rod upon the plate 31, said plate 31 serving to pull the lower end of the rod inwardly as the float is raised. As a means for insuring the positive return of the rod to normal position when the handle is elevated above the point 38 I have provided a spring 40 coiled about the rod which has its upper end seated on the plate 18, and its lower end anchored upon an enlargement 41 on the rod as shown in Fig. II. The spring 40 is tensioned a sufficient amount to insure the quick return of the rod and to prevent its rattling when the car is in motion. Furthermore, when the rod is raised from normal position as indicated by dotted lines, the spring 40 will be slightly compressed thus serving to yieldingly hold the rod in adjusted position.

A sli htly modified form of rod and rod holding means is provided in Figs. V to VII inclusive. In this modification the rod 42 is provided with an enlarged head or handle 43 normally resting upon the plate 44 secured at one side of the cover plate 18 on the tank 16. The rod 42 immediately under the head. 43 is provided with a reduced portion 45 which, however. is of a greater diameter than the rod, said portion 45 being movable in an elongated opening 46 in the cover plate 18. and also in the larger portion of the keyhole slot 47 in the plate 44 which registers with the slot- 46. When the rod 42'is in normal position the head 43 rests upon the plate in the plate 18. When the rod is raised and.

inclined with respectto the tube 19, as shown by dotted lines in Fi V, the reduced portion is seated upon the plate 44 with the rod extending through the narrow portion 48 of the keyhole slot, said rodbeing held in raised position within said slots by means oi a spring 49, one end ofwhich is anchored at 50 to the rod, and the other at 51 upon a downwardly projecting member 52 secured to the plate 18, as shown in Fig. V. When the rod 42 is in normal position, the enlarged portion 45 is yieldingly held by the spring 49 against the plate 44 at the point where the keyhole slot is reduced, and when said rod is raised from normal position to that indicated by dotted lines, the spring 49 is further tensioned and serves to yieldingly hold the rod in the reduced portion 48 of the keyhole slot until the rod is moved to releaseposition by the upward movement of the float in the tank, it being understood that as the float is elevated, the plate 31 will wedge upon the inclined rod and move it to the left until the enlarged portion 45 registers with the enlarged opening of the keyhole slot, at which time the spring 49 serves to depress the rod and move it back to normal position. The spring'49 is rela tively light so that the buoyancy of the float is s'ullicirnt to overcome the resistance oi. the spring in tending to hold the rod in the position shown by dotted lines whenthe supply ol liquid in the tank is increased abovea pro-determined amount.

It will be understood,

of course, that the engine will not stop immediately upon the the carburetor, it must be started by external mechanism and kept going until suliicient fuel is pumped into the gravity feed tank and fed to the carburetor to permit the englue to be run by the explosion of gas in the cylinde A comparatively few revolutions of the crank shaft will suffice for this purpose, and this work may be performed by the engine starter. or the engine may be cranked by handii not provided with a self starter Having thus described my invention, what 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: v l. liquid holding receptacle having an outlet passageway, a float controlled valve for said passageway, and a rod operatively connected with the valve adapted when in normal position to permit the closing of the valve and arranged to be shifted laterally uponthe tank to support said valve in open position and to be released by upward movement of the float in the receptacle to permit. the return of the rod to normal, position. a

2. A liquid holding receptacle having an outlet passageway, an aspirator connected therewith, a float controlled valve for said passageway, a rod operatively connected with the valve and adapted when in normal position to permit the closing of the valve and arranged to be shifted laterally to support said valve in open position and to be released by upward movement of the float in the receptacle and a spring adapted to return the rod to normal position when, re leased. i 1

8. A liquid holding receptacle having an outlet passageway, a float controlled valve for said passageway, a rod operatively connected with the valve and adapted when in normal position to permit the closing or" the valve and arranged to be shifted laterally to support said valve in open position and to be released by upward movement of the float in the receptacle, and means for insurin the return of said rod to normal position when released. 7 v

4. A liquid holding receptacle having an outlet passageway, afloat controlled valve for said passageway, a member for lifting said valve, said member being adapted to be deflected out of normal position to hold said valve open, and means for holding said member in adjusted position, said member being automatically released from said holding means when a predetermined amount of liquid is placed in the receptacle. 7 5. A liquid holding receptacle having an outlet passageway, an aspirator connected therewith, a float controlled valve for said passageway, a member for lifting said valve, said member being adjustable laterally ofits normal position to hold said valve open, and means for holding said member in adjusted position, said lifting member being automatically released from said holding means when a predetermined amount of liquid is placed in the receptacle.

6. A liquid holding receptacle having an outlet passageway, an aspirator connected with said passageway, a float controlled valve for said passageway, a lifting member for said float and valve, said member being adjustable laterally of its normal position to hold said valve open, means for holding said member in adjusted position, said member being automatically released from said holdoutlet passageway, a float controlled valve for said passageway, a plate upon said receptable, a rod connected with said float controlled valve and adapted to be supported upon said plate in two positions of adjustment requiring the rod to be shifted laterally and longitudinally, movement of the rod from one of said positions being effected manually and from the other automatically when a pre-determined amount of liquid is placed in the receptacle.

'8. A liquid holding receptacle having an outlet passageway, an aspirator coimected therewith, a float controlled valve for said passageway, a plate member upon said receptacle, an operating member connected with said float controlled valve and adapted to be deflected laterally upon the receptacle and to cooperate therewith to hold the valve open, movement of said opera-ting member in one direction being effected manually and in the opposite direction by the action of the float when the tank is refilled.

A liquid holding receptacle having an outlet passageway, a float controlled valve for said passageway, a holder upon said receptacle having a slot therein and a member connected -with said float controlled valve and movable laterally in said slot to two positions of adjustment, movement of said member from one of said posit-ions being effected manually and from the other automatically when a pre-determined amount of liquid is placed in the receptacle.

10. A liquid holding receptacle having an outlet passageway, a float controlled valve for said passageway, a holder upon said receptacle having a slot therein and a member connected with said float controlled valve and movable laterally insaid slot to two positions of adjustment, movement of said member from one of said positions being effected manually and from the other automatically when a predetermined amount of liquid is placed in the receptacle and yieldable means for holding said member in itsseparate positions of adjustment.

11. A liquid holding receptacle having a tube projecting therein provided with an inlet passageway, a float slidably mounted. upon said tube, a valve connected with said float for controlling said passageway, a plate member upon said receptacle and a lifting member connected with said float and adapted to be adjusted laterally upon said plate member to two positions, adjustment of said member in one direction being mama? effected manually and in the other automatically when a pie-determined amount of liquid is placed in the receptacle.

12. A liquid holding receptacle having a tube projecting therein, provided at its lower end with an opening, an aspirator connected with said tube, a float slidably mounted on said tube, a sleeve connected with said float and slidably mounted upon said tube for controlling said opening, a plate member upon said receptacle, a rod connected with said float and-adapted to besupported upon said plate member in'two positions of adjustment requiring both lateral and longitud-inal movement of the rod, adjustment of the rod to one of said positions being effected manually and to the other automatically when a predetermined amount of liquid is placed'in the receptacle, and means serving to hold said rod in yielding engagement withsaid plate member in either of its positions of ad'ustment.

13. In a line reserve supply system, the combination with the manifold and carbureter of an internal combustion engine and the fuel supply tank therefor, of a float controlled valve for the supply pipe leading from said tank, a holder upon said tank, a lifting member connected with said float controlled valve and adapted to be support ed upon said holder in two positions of adjustment, requiring lateral movement of the lifting member, adjustment of said lifting member in one direction being effected manually and in theother automaticallywhen a predetermined amount of liquid is placed. in the receptacle.

141. In a fuel reserve supply system, the combination with the manifold and carbureter of an internal combustion engine and the fuel supply tank therefor, of a float controlled valve for the supply pipe leading from said tank, a holder upon said tank, a lifting member connected with said float controlled valve and adapted to be supported upon said holder in two positions of adjustment, requiring lateral movement of the lifting member, adjustment of said lifting member in one direction being effected manually and in the other automatically when a pre-determined amount of liquid is placed in'the receptacle and means for yieldingly holding said lifting member in each of-its positions of adjustment.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

FRANCIS J ERDONE, Jn. 

